Avenues For Justice Inc

TO DIVERT YOUTH FROM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM THROUGH ATI COURT ADVOCACY SERVICES AND WRAPAROUND HOLISTIC PROGRAMS THAT ARE OFFERED BOTH ONLINE AND ONSITE.

AVENUES FOR JUSTICE (AFJ) OPERATES PROGRAMS FOR TWO MAIN GROUPS OF PARTICIPANTS: 1) PRIOR TO TRIAL AND ADVOCATE TO A JUDGE THAT THEY SHOULD BE AT-RISK OF ENTERING THE SYSTEM. COURT-INVOLVED INCLUDES THREE SUB-GROUPS OF PARTICIPANTS: A) AFJ'S SIGNATURE LONG-TERM COURT ADVOCACY PROGRAM (COURT ADVOCACY PROGRAM FOR YOUNGER PARTICIPANTS WHOSE CASES ARE IN THE NYC FAMILY COURT (PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE INCARCERATED (COURT-INVOLVED AND AT-RISK PROGRAMS ARE PROVIDED ONLINE AND IN PERSON THROUGH TWO COMMUNITY CENTERS IN THE LOWER EAST SIDE AND HARLEM AND AT AFJ'S HEADQUARTERS INSIDE THE MANHATTAN CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE. ALL PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE HIRE UP SERVICES FOR JOB TRAINING, COMMUNICATIONS/CIVICS, LIFE SKILLS, MENTAL HEALTH, CASE MANAGEMENT, AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT. IN ADDITION, COURT-INVOLVED PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE COURT ADVOCACY SERVICES WITH INTENSIVE MENTORING. AFJ ALSO PROVIDES REFERRALS TO THIRD PARTY SPECIALISTS FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS WHEN NEEDED. DURING 2021, AFJ SERVED 257 PARTICIPANTS IN THE COURT-INVOLVED PROGRAM: 191 WERE IN THE LONG-TERM COURT ADVOCACY PROGRAM, 51 WERE IN THE FAMILY COURT DIVERSION PROGRAM, AND 15 WERE RE-ENTRY. ONE HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR WERE SERVED THROUGH THE LOWER EAST SIDE SITE AND 113 WERE SERVED THROUGH THE HARLEM SITE. DURING 2021, AFJ ALSO SERVED 58 AT-RISK PARTICIPANTS ONLINE AND AT ITS LOWER EAST SIDE (48) AND HARLEM (10) LOCATIONS. ADDITIONALLY, AFJ PROVIDED 73 PARTICIPANTS WITH REFERRALS AND OTHER SHORT-TERM ASSISTANCE.

HIRE UP TRAINING, LIFE SKILLS, EDUCATION AND MENTAL HEALTH: AFJ LAUNCHED HIRE UP DURING THE 2020 QUARANTINE, AND BY 2021 WE BEGAN SEEING A CORRELATION BETWEEN OUR HIRE UP PROGRAMS LISTED BELOW AND OUR PARTICIPANTS GAINING EMPLOYMENT: 22% OF THOSE HIRED WERE DIGITAL LITERACY STUDENTS; 15% WERE OSHA STUDENTS; 52% WERE IN JOB READINESS WORKSHOPS; 15% WERE HIRED BY AFJ'S CORPORATE PARTNERS. AND EXPANDED IN 2021 TO INCLUDE: EXPANDED AS OF 2021 TO WEEKLY - JOB READINESS AND FINANCIAL LITERACY WORKSHOPS LED BY CORPORATE PARTNERS: VIA HYBRID PLATFORMS, CORPORATE PARTNERS PROVIDE JOB PREPARATION AND FINANCIAL LITERACY TRAINING TWO TIMES PER WEEK, WITH MOCK INTERVIEWS; RESUME WRITING; BASICS OF BUDGETING, BANK AND CREDIT ACCOUNTS; DRESS FOR SUCCESS; AND MENTORING. THE PROGRAM INCLUDES MONTHLY GUEST SPEAKERS WHO ARE SUCCESSFUL IN UNCONVENTIONAL CAREERS AND JOB STRUCTURES (WORK FOR HIRE, FREELANCE, PROJECT-BASED WORK) TO EXPAND THE IDEA OF WHAT A CAREER CAN BE. CURRENT PARTNERS ARE FIRST REPUBLIC, CITY NATIONAL BANK, AND JUNIOR LEAGUE OF NY. EXPANDED 2021 - DIGITAL LITERACY WITH CERTIFICATION: AFJ PURCHASED SOFTWARE WITH 70 LEVELS OF SELF-PACED STUDY, WITH CERTIFICATION AVAILABLE AT EACH LEVEL, SUPPLEMENTED BY GROUP INSTRUCTION AND TESTING LED BY OUR COURT ADVOCATES. EXPANDED 2021 - OSHA 40-HOUR CONSTRUCTION SAFETY WITH CERTIFICATION: AFJ TRANSITIONED FROM SELF-PACED SOFTWARE TO PROVIDING GROUP INSTRUCTION AT OUR CENTERS, QUICKLY RESULTING IN AN INCREASE OF 1 CERTIFICATION TO 13, WITH 4 DIRECTLY RELATED JOB PLACEMENTS. EXPANDED 2021, CONTINUING 2022 - LEGAL RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES: INCREASED TO WEEKLY TO HELP PARTICIPANTS UNDERSTAND THEIR OWN COURT CASES AND AVOID ARRESTS IN OVER POLICED SITUATIONS AND COMMUNITIES. NEW 2021 TO CONTINUE 2022 - HOST SITE FOR NYC SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM (SYEP): IN BOTH 2021 AND 2022, THE CITY HAS SELECTED AFJ TO HOST THE SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM. FOR BOTH YEARS, AVENUES FOR JUSTICE HAS DESIGNED A UNIQUE PROGRAM THAT OFFERS 150-HOUR SUBSIDIZED SALARIES FOR TRAINING IN MEDIA AND VIDEOGRAPHY AT OUR CENTERS, AS WELL AS SYEP'S TRADITIONAL EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM. NEW IN 2021 - CIVICS AND LEGAL RIGHTS: PARTICIPANTS HAVE WEEKLY WORKSHOPS ON THEIR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE LEGAL SYSTEM, AND ALSO SESSIONS ON COMMUNITY AND JUSTICE ISSUES. NEW IN 2021 - COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING: IN 2021 AVENUES FOR JUSTICE BEGAN COMBINING SEVERAL WORKSHOPS TO CREATE COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING IN PROFESSIONAL LEVEL SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER MEDIA, DIGITAL LITERACY AND CIVICS. PARTICIPANTS ALSO MEET WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS FOR Q&A SESSIONS AND ASSIST WITH AFJ'S PUBLIC MESSAGING. 25 PARTICIPANTS/YR. NEW IN 2021 - MENTAL HEALTH: PARTICIPANTS LEARN COPING SKILLS, ANGER MANAGEMENT, VIOLENCE AND GANG-PREVENTION, WITH ACCESS TO PSYCHOTHERAPIST-LED GROUP THERAPY SESSIONS, AND ART THERAPY. NEW - HELD 2021 ONLY - ENTREPRENEURSHIP: IN 2021, SLICKDEALS LED AN 8-WEEK WORKSHOP SERIES TEACHING 19 PARTICIPANTS TO PLAN, DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT AN ONLINE STORE AT REDBUBBLE. MENTORING: MENTORING IS AVAILABLE TO PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR FAMILIES 24/7, AS WELL AS REFERRALS TO OTHER NEEDED SERVICES INCLUDING SUBSTANCE ABUSE RECOVERY. EDUCATION: AFJ MAINTAINS A BANK OF 60 VOLUNTEER TUTORS WHILE AFJ COURT ADVOCATES STAY IN TOUCH WITH SCHOOL STAFF TO ENSURE PARTICIPANTS ARE SUCCEEDING AT THEIR STUDIES AND RUN WORKSHOPS TO GUIDE THEM TO COLLEGE. IN 2021, GOLDMAN SACHS ALSO PROVIDED A WEEKLONG STEM BOOT CAMP FOR INSTRUCTION IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH.

PROGRAM OUTCOMES/RECIDIVISM OF THE CASES THAT HAD COURT OUTCOMES DURING 2021, 71% WERE ADJOURNED AND 13% WERE DISMISSED. IN 2021, 95 COURT-INVOLVED PARTICIPANTS EXITED THE PROGRAM; 91 COMPLETED THE PROGRAM, WITH 82 ACHIEVING ALL GOALS. ONLY 5% OF AFJ PARTICIPANTS WERE RECONVICTED IN NEW YORK STATE WITHIN THREE YEARS AFTER ENROLLING IN THE PROGRAM, COMPARED TO 59% OF NEW YORK CITY PAROLEES FROM A 2010 STUDY. WITHIN SIX YEARS OF ENROLLMENT, JUST 18% OF PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE ENROLLED IN 2013 OR 2014 WERE RECONVICTED. AMONG SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM COMPLETERS, 16% WERE RECONVICTED WITHIN SIX YEARS OF ENROLLMENT; 12% WERE RECONVICTED OF A MISDEMEANOR CRIME AND 4% WERE RECONVICTED OF A FELONY CRIME.